What's so bad about broody hens?

[BlueBaby]

I have a broody hen right now that is trying to hatch 2 plastic egg's. All of the other hen's are laying egg's in the other nest boxes. I do still check her several time's a day to make sure that no real egg's are under her. I use a stick to raise her up to look. She peck's the stick and not me that way.

 

[DobieLover]

I have a broody hen right now that is trying to hatch 2 plastic egg's. All of the other hen's are laying egg's in the other nest boxes. I do still check her several time's a day to make sure that no real egg's are under her. I use a stick to raise her up to look. She peck's the stick and not me that way.

Why aren't you breaking her?

 

[BlueBaby]

Why aren't you breaking her?

My broody breaking cage is occupied right now with a mean rooster that need's to be culled.

 

[alpinewelsummer]

Thanks for the responses! I have a broody myself and she hasn't caused trouble as she prefers one specific nest spot and doesn't try to hog the others. It's cool to know some people get better luck hatching under a hen--maybe I'll grab some eggs for her this week.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Reasons to dislike broody hens:

--A broody hen does not lay eggs while she is broody.

--A broody hen sits in the nestbox, and may get in the way of other hens wanting to lay.

--A broody hen eats less and loses weight, and people get worried about her (most will be fine, but a few stupid hens will sit on the nest and starve to death, rather than come off to eat enough each day.)

--Breaking the broodiness is an extra step to fuss with.

--If you don't break the broodiness, the hen will keep sitting for weeks or occasionally months. She will not lay eggs again until some weeks after she quits being broody.

On the other hand, broody hens are great if you like to have them hatch eggs and raise chicks.

I'll add one more thing to Nat's post, some people are afraid of a broody hen.

 

[HollyBerrie]

I'll add one more thing to Nat's post, some people are afraid of a broody hen.

I agree, pecking at your hand while checking under her, going around clucking and puffing herself up to look like a huge monster! It's scary!

 

[HollyBerrie]

Yesterday I found one of my muscovy hens sitting on a nest outside in a cozy spot. In the evening she was off the nest, so I took all of the eggs out of the nest. Mostly muscovy eggs, and a few chicken eggs. I kept digging and digging them out of there! There were 18 altogether!

The good thing with muscovy hens is they are much easier to break of broodiness than a chicken hen. Just take the eggs, and done. Although, she may start a new nest somewhere else, but most of the time they don't.

 

[Ruthster55]

Broody hens are basically what can happen if you omit to collect eggs for whatever reason.

If you don’t have a rooster or don’t want chicks, broody hens should be broken asap. For example, a broody hen is not appropriate or reasonable in a 5-hen urban flock with no rooster.

On a farm or in a rural area....

If there is a rooster, enough nest boxes or whatever, and future chicks aren’t a problem, my opinion is to just let a broody hen do her thing. It’s best to leave her alone until most of the chicks hatch. (Yes, she’s grouchy...).

Then you can put her and the babies in a coop or cage, mostly just for the safety of the chicks.

 

[Mamatomany123]

I have a broody who was trying to hatch golf balls. Shes in broody jail because 1. Eggs are not fertile. 2. I dont want anymore chicks. And 3. If she bites me one more time I may bite back.

 

[Yardmom]

We love getting the chicks. We have the space and more eggs than we know what to do with during broody season. If we don't really want more chickens then I just give each hen a few eggs. Haveing hatches in the spring contributes to year round eggs. Selling the chicks could also be a possibility.